More than 3,000 families have fled their homes at the Kenya-Ethiopia border following increased tension after 10 fishermen were killed by Ethiopia militia yesterday.

Turkana and Ethiopian fishermen on Lake Turkana have been fighting, causing the families to retreat more than 30km from the border. Tukana North DC Eric Wanyonyi said security teams have been deployed along the border. Leaders from the region led by Senator John

Munyes said the frequent attacks along the border have impoverished the Turkana community. Seven bodies of fishermen killed by Ethiopian militia at Todonyang in Turkana North are still missing. Wanyonyi said GSU officers are patrolling Todonyang and areas around the lake.

Like this:

This latest round of conflict along the Ethiopia – Kenya border has caused huge displacements of people, mostly from Ethiopia into Kenya. However, reports that the movement of people is monodirectional, i.e., from Ethiopia to the Kenyan side of the border, is simply wrong.

People are moving in all directions- southwards and northwards mainly, trying to escaping for their lives. This lastest conflict has involved and affected not only two communities, as the international media has been alleging, but also some others too from within Kenya itself, for instance, the Degothia.

This situation has given rise to sparring amongst some local politicians, parliamentarians, over alleged protection of their constituencies. Because of that in northern Kenya they are now at each other’s throats at this time of campaigns in the presidential election in that country.

Some seem angry at the local government, accusing it of not providing security for all the people. Others are angry by the mere fact that members of their constituency are moving from northern Kenya into southern Ethiopia to seek security and asylum, as KTN, Kenyan television reports. They are more seen being in clear denial of the situation that putting their heads together to seek lasting solution to the problem.

It comes as no surprise that Kenyan police suspicion should be concerned with involvement of local politicians in the conflict. Having found evidence, they have arrested some four politicians and are also in pursuit of some others. In the final analysis, this may be a step in the right direction in the interim.

Let there be no doubt that apprehension of such individuals may only go to an extent. What is needed is determined efforts on the part of the governments of the two countries to empower the local people to withstand the onslaught of failing resources – land and water – amongst the pastoralist populations. This has been the prime culprit that has been causing frequent conflicts.

In 2012 alone, this is the third such conflict, entailing scores of deaths and several tens and thousands displaced. Evident now is that the cycles of the conflicts shortening and the costs in lives and properties have been enormous, with the situation exacerbated by climate change – which for East Africa is no longer theoretical but an everyday reality.

Governments ought to take lessons, instead of dwelling on the problems and prescribing at its peak shortsighted solutions that could simply extinguish the immediate fire.

As it happens, there hardly is better solutions than what the people are demanding, as the appeal by an elderly person from Wajir put it to IRIN: “We don’t need relief food, drought will be there next year. What we need is to be empowered. Our people have enough livestock; they need hay, water and markets for their livestock but not free food.”

LATEST UPDATE ON THE SITUATION

The latest assessment by a Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) team of these fierce conflicts since Thursday 26th July 2012, according to IRIN, has confirmed the same, causing deaths, injuries and loss of property with reports of massive displacements of populations.

This displacement and subsequent migration of the Ethiopian population into Kenya has been occasioned by simmering dispute over land. It involves more than the Borana and Garre communities, with the Degothia community of North eastern Kenya pushing the Garris out of the areas. It also reveals inadequacies in earlier conflicts. The Garris happened to be occupants of the land, following the decision by the Ethiopian government to settle the Garris into the disputed lands that Boranas claim ownership.

A huge number of the Ethiopian refugees, according to IRIN, are being hosted in Somare, Lami, Bori, Sessi, Biashara Street, Al-k-Rashid Primary School, Nana, Kinisa and Yaballo areas of Moyale. Most concentrations are at Somare Primary School.

Unfortunately, there is no word from the Ethiopian side how many Kenyan refugees have moved in, what their condition is and where they are being taken care of.

Long simmering tensions along the border communities between southern Ethiopia and northern Kenya, mostly around Moyale have finally erupted in the last few days. It is reported that several lives have been lost and a high number of people have fled the conflict areas, as many are also locked inside their homes in Moyale.Continue reading →

Like this:

A TRUE POLITICIAN’S PRICELESS QUALITIES

PASSION & A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY & PROPORTION.

Max Weber

ARCHIVES

ARCHIVES

QUOTATION FOR THE AGES

"When they [government officials] first came they told us an investor was coming and we would develop the land alongside one another. They didn't say the land would be taken away from us entirely. I don't understand why the government took the land."

Farmer Gemechu Garbaba

His wife adds:

"Since the land was taken away from us we are impoverished. Nothing has gone right for us, since these investors came."